1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for damping vibrations in a gear change mechanism for vehicles, including a gear change transmission rod mounted in the vehicle for angular and axial movement and adapted to be actuated by a manually operable gear change lever.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In vehicles equipped with a manually operable gearbox, it is usual to initiate gear changing by operating a gear change lever arranged in the vehicle passenger space. Such gear change movements are transferred to the gear change means proper in the gearbox with the aid of a gear change transmission rod having ball joints in its respective ends for articulate connection to the gear change lever and to the gear change means. Noise and vibrations occurring in the internal combustion engine of the vehicle and transmission might propagate to the gear lever via the gear change transmission rod. The gear change lever may thus be caused to vibrate simultaneously as a weak buzzing noise reaches the passenger space in unfavourable cases. In order to restrict the propagation of such vibrations and noise, it is known to equip the gear change transmission rod with ball joints made from plastics or the like. It is also known to arrange movement damping rubber means in the gear changing mechanism, with the object of limiting the spread of vibration.